As we approach the summer solstice, the daylight begins to reach its zenith of power. The traces of winter and cold have all vanished. The new buds and shoots of life from early springtime are ripening into a complete expression of life; in my own home, my wife and I have already started harvesting mulberries - the first fruits of the year where we live.

Gemini season is about to reach its celestial climax as the Moon goes full in the sign of Sagittarius. This full moon will occur on Thursday, May 23rd at 9:52am eastern time.

Full moons occur as the moon directly opposes the Sun in the sky, culminating the new moon and bringing it into fruition. Whereas new moons begin trends, patterns, and cycles, full moons terminalize them. During this time, the seeds and new intentions sewn during the new moon will culminate and come to fruition.

On earth, we experience a corresponding culmination in response - both at an individual and collective level. The new seeds, patterns, and intentions sown during the new moon two weeks ago will likewise come to fruition.

Because the full Moon starts the waning season, her placement indicates circumstances and behaviors in our lives that we often need to release. As she wanes and separates from the opposition to the Sun, so too should we wane and separate from the things in our lives that do not serve us.

For this reason, we often find habits and patterns related to the oppositional sign arising that stand in the way of the intentions that we have been working to achieve. As the full moon allows us to celebrate the work achieved thus far, we can also begin to identify and release attitudes, behavioral patterns, and even entire situations and circumstances in our lives that stand in the way of the new growth that we have been cultivating the past few weeks.

This full moon is occurring in Sagittarius, which is fiery, mutable, and ruled by Jupiter, the planetary God of wisdom, abundance, and law. Being ruled by Jupiter, Sagittarius is associated with wisdom, zeal, strong beliefs, and is fueled by a passionate core. Sagittarius is Jupiter’s yang, extroverted sign, in which Jupiter’s focus on truth, goodness, and wisdom are projected outwards. Sagittarius pushes us to grow, expand, and broaden our horizons. Sagittarius provides us with the faith and zeal that we need to accomplish our life’s work and exhort those around us in kind. Sagittarius is earnest, idealistic, and on a mission.

While going full in Sagittarius, the Moon will oppose the Sun in Gemini. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, God of language, communication, and the mind. Whereas Sagittarius prioritizes truth, principles, and ideals, Gemini privileges creative exploration and play. Sagittarius seeks an absolute belief system that holds a profound connection to the really real, and Gemini tries on different belief systems and perspectives like different hats. Sagittarius pokes you to help you “wake up” and connect with something profound, and Gemini pokes you just to poke you.

Sagittarius privileges absolutes, and Gemini prefers function; Sagittarius emphasizes faith and absolute truth, and Gemini emphasizes reason and utility; Sagittarius is a believer, Gemini a pragmatist.

Thus, with this full Moon, we see the antithesis between the mirthful, playful, and skillful sign of Gemini with the idealistic, passionate, and advocative sign of Sagittarius. While the last few weeks of late springtime have opened our psyches to the fun-loving, crafty, low-stakes mindset that only Gemini season can offer us, this Sagittarius Full Moon pushes back will contrast this disposition with the more idealistic, goal-oriented attitudes and moods of Sagittarius.

We all get to experience a taste of this cosmic buoyancy leading up to and during the full moon in Sagittarius. Upon reflection, you may find that you’ve been more hopeful about the future and have felt more serious and focused in your commitment to work, do your spiritual practices, and effect positive change in the world around you. People often become full of energy and more determined in their desire to make the world a better place.

While this enthusiasm and inspiration is a good thing, it can be soured during the full Moon when it becomes too intense, compelling us to become attached to very particular outcomes, and driving us to become too fixated in our pursuit of the good things we want to bring into our lives and the world around us. During a zodiacal season that prioritizes curious exploration, play, and open-ended inquiry, the Sagittarius full moon brings a great deal of passion, zeal, and fervor that short-circuits Gemini’s open-ended, creative process. It causes us to take both ourselves and our lives too seriously.

On the bright side, this full moon illuminates the ways in which we tie ourselves up in knots by becoming too attached to our agendas, our morality, and our sense of what is good. The contrast between the Sun and the Moon here shows us how we can become too fixated on results and our sense of what is right, to the detriment of the insights and wisdom that can arise from playful curiosity and open-ended inquiry.

This full moon is a good time to remember to return to play. Have fun with the process; enjoy the journey. Don’t take any aspect of life so seriously that you cannot enjoy being wrong or making a mistake. Nothing that happens on earth is so grave a matter that we need to let it steal our joy or forcefully push our dogma onto others. Allow the Sag moon to illuminate your hopes, dreams, and goals, but hold them loosely from here on out.

How are you taking yourself too seriously? What aspects of life are you allowing yourself to be unnecessarily fired up about? Is there anything in your current situation that is unnecessarily stressing you out because it doesn’t cohere with your sense of rightness and your motives?

Rhodochrosite is a good stone to work with this season, associated with self-love and compassion. It relieves anxiety while opening the heart. It is a good stone for this time to integrate the healthy impulses of Sagittarius - earnest, meaningful care for the True and the Good - without letting these impulses get out of balance and disconnect you from your center.

Let go of the attachment to your ideals. Remember the levity and vivacity of Gemini while the Sun remains here. Give yourself permission to have fun and enjoy the ride. In doing so, you’ll be far more productive and efficient at bringing more beauty and morality into your life in the long run.